_Of the beginning of Woods, first sowing, and necessarie vse._
[Sidenote: Wood better then Gold.]
[Sidenote: The excellent vses of Wood.]
It is a Maxime held in Plantations, that no land is habitable, which
hath not Wood & Water, they two being as it were the only nerues &
strength of a mans safe and wholesome liuing, and I haue heard many
wise Gentlemen, exercised, and ingaged, in the most noble and euer
laudable workes of our new Plantations, both of _Virgina_ and the
Summer-_Ilands_ affirme, that they had rather, for a generall profit,
haue a fertile wholesome land, with much wood, then (wanting wood)
with a Mine of gold: so infinite great is the vse of Timber (whose
particulars I néede not rehearse) and so insufferable is the want,
when we are any way pinched with the same. And hence it springeth that
our olde auncestors (whose vertues would God we would in some small
measure imitate) when they found any hard and barraine earth, such as
was vnapt for grasse; or at least such as bare but grasse that would
kéepe life, not comfort life, they presently plowed it vp, and sowed
thereon Acornes, Ash-keyes, Maple knots, Béech apples, Hawes, Slowes,
Nuts, Bullis, and all other séeds of trées in innumerable quantity,
as may appeare by the Forrests of _Del la mere_, _Sherwood_, _Kings
wood_, and many other within this kingdome of huge great spaciousnes
and compasse, from whom when the wood is spoiled, the soyle serueth to
little or no purpose, except it be the kéeping aliue of a few poore
shéepe, which yéeld but little profit more then their carkasse. Thus
euen from the first age of the world hath our forefathers béene euer
most carefull to preserue and encrease wood, and for mine owne part I
haue euer obserued in all those places where I haue séene Woods decayed
and destroyed, that the charge of stubbing and other necessaries
allowed; those lands haue neuer againe yéelded the former profit, for
the greatest exhaustment that euer I saw of wood ground was to bring it
to tenne shillings an Acre when it was conuerted to pasture, and being
kept to wood, it was worth euery seauentéenth yéere one and twenty
pound. A simple Auditor may cast the account of this profit, but such
is our gréedinesse, that for our instant vse we little respect the
good of ours, or our neighbours. But it is no part of my Bookes method
to call offences to question, but onely to right the Husbandman in
his iourney to ordinarie profit. Know then that there is nothing more
profitable to the Husbandman, then the encreasing and nourishing of
wood; from whence (as our common lawes termes it) springs these thrée
bootes or necessary commodities, to wit House-boote, Plowe-boote, and
Fire-boote, without the first we haue neither health, couert, ease,
nor safety from sauage beasts: without the second we cannot haue the
fruits of the earth, nor sustenance for our bodies, nor without the
last can we defend off the sharp Winters, or maintaine life against
the numbing colds which would confound vs. The consideration of these
thrée things only, might enduce vs to the preseruation of this most
excellent commodity: but the other infinite necessities & vses which
we make of wood, as shipping, by which we make our selues Lords of the
Seas: fencing which is the bond of concord amongst neighbours: solution
& trial of Mines, from whence springs both our glory in peace, and our
strength in warre, with a world of others sutable vnto them, should be
motiues vnresistable to make vs with all diligence hast to the most
praise-worthy labour of planting wood, in euery place and corner, where
it may any way conueniently be receiued.
[Sidenote: The plantation of Wood.]
If then the Husbandman shall liue in a high barraine Countrey (for
low-valleyes, marshes, or such grounds as are subiect to inundations,
seldome nourish wood well) or in a soyle though not vtterly barraine,
yet of so hard and sower encrease, that the hearbage doth in the profit
but in small quantity, I would wish him after a generall triall of
his earth, to deuide it into thrée equall parts, the first and the
fruitfullest I would haue him preserue for pasture for his Cattell of
all kindes: the second and next in fertility for corne, being no more
then those cattell may till, and the last & most barraine to imploy
for wood: which though he stay long for the profit, yet will pay the
interest double. And this ground thus chosen for wood, I would haue
him plowe vp from the swarth about the latter end of Februarie, and
if it be light earth, as either sand, grauell, or a mixt hazel earth,
then immediatly to sow it with Acornes, Ash-keyes, Elme & Maple knots,
Béech-apples, Chesnuts, Ceruisses, Crabs, Peares, Nuts of all kindes,
Hawes, Hips, Bullice, Slowes, and all manner of other wood séeds
whatsoeuer, and as soone as they are sowne with strong Oxe harrowes of
iron, to harrow and breake the earth, in such sort, that they may be
close and safely couered. And in the plowing of this earth, you must
diligently obserue to turne vp your furrowes as déepe as is possible,
that the séede taking strong and déepe roote, may the better and with
more safety encrease, and defend it selfe against stormes and tempests,
whereas if the roote be but weakely fixed, the smallest blasts will
shake the Trées, and make them crooked, wrythen, and for small vse but
fire onely.
[Sidenote: The fencing of young woods.]
[Sidenote: When cattell may graze in Springs.]
After you haue harrowed your earth, and laide your séede safe, you
shall fence your ground about with a strong and large fence, and
hedge, ditch, pale, or such like, which may kéepe out all manner of
foure-footed beasts, for comming within the same, for the space of
tenne yéeres after: for you shall vnderstand, that if any cattell
shall come where young wood is péeping aboue the earth, or whilst it
is young, tender, and soft, they will naturally crop and brouse vpon
the same, and then be sure that the wood which is so bitten, will neuer
prosper or spring vp to any height, but turne to bushie shrubs and
ill-fauoured tufts, pestring the ground without any hope of profit,
whereas if it be defended and kept safe the space of tenne yéeres at
the least, it will after defend it selfe, and prosper in despight
of any iniurie: and then after that date you may safely turne your
cattell into the same, and let them graze at pleasure, and surely you
shall finde it a great reliefe for your young beast, as your yearling
Haiffers, Bullocks, Colts, Fillies, and such like: for I would not wish
you to let any elder cattell come within the same, because the grasse
though it be long, yet it is sower and scowring, and by that meanes
will make your cattell for labour weake and vnhealthie, whether it be
Oxe or Horse, and for milch-Kine, it will instantly dry vp their milke,
but for idle heilding beasts, whose profit is comming after, it will
serue sufficiently.
[Sidenote: The vse of the clay ground for Wood.]
Now if the earth whereon you sowe your wood, be a stiffe clay ground,
and onely barraine through the extreamitie of colde, wet, or such like,
as is séene in daily experience: you shall then plowe vp the ground at
the end of Ianuarie in déepe furrowes, as is before rehearsed; and then
let it rest till it haue receiued two or thrée good Frosts, then after
those Frosts some wet, as either snow or raine, and then the next
faire season after sowe it, as afore-said, and harrow it, and you shall
sée the mould breake and couer most kindely, which without this baite,
and order, it would not doe, then fence it as afore-said, and preserue
it from cattell for tenne yéeres after.
[Sidenote: A speciall note.]
And here is to be noted that one Oake growing vpon a clay ground, is
worth any fiue which growes vpon the sand, for it is more hard, more
tough, and of much longer indurance, not so apt to teare, ryue, or
consume, either with Lyme, Rubbish, or any casuall moysture, whence
it comes that euer your Ship-wrights or Mill-wrights desire the clay
Oake for their vse, and the Ioyner the sand Oake for smoothnesse and
waynscote. And thus much for the sowing of Wood, and his generall vses.
* * * * *